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A Surprise Appearance by Nicolas Cage Made 'C4GED' Unforgettable

Nicolas Cage is a unique talent in the acting world. His performances often give us something to talk about regardless of the quality of the film surrounding that performance, and it creates an air of excitement that follows the actor wherever he's seen. This is exactly why, for the past four years, the Alamo Drafthouse has programmed a day of movies in Cage's honor. Entitled CAGED (or "C4GED" for this year's program) the day, usually coordinated by Tough Guy Cinema programmer Greg MacLennan and in honor of Cage's 53rd birthday, treats movie-going fans to five, surprise titles all headlined by a memorable Nicolas Cage performance. Every year MacLennan has invited Cage to attend, and it was for seemingly this final year of CAGED that we were all witness to the biggest surprise of them all. Nicolas Cage actually showed up.

He didn't just pop in for a quick “Hello and goodbye," nor did he show up at the end for a breezy Q&A. Cage entered the theater in the middle of the audience's singing of Happy Birthday to him, birthday cake with lit candle waiting at the front of the theater. Little did the audience know we were the ones about to be treated.

Before the films began, before MacLennan was even able to introduce the man who really didn't need an introduction, Cage blessed us with a reading of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" in its entirety. The reading quickly became more a performance, and the excitement and energy Cage brought to the short story was felt throughout the auditorium, a feeling that would stick around for the next, 12 hours. Watch here:

After the performance of Poe and after the audience had found a way to somewhat compose ourselves, Cage sat in the middle of the crowd and watched the films along with us, films he personally programmed for the day. It was an unforgettable experience for everyone involved, not only due to the impressive lineup of Cage hand-picked films. For the C4GED event at the South Lamar Alamo Drafthouse cinema in Austin, TX this year they showed these five Cage films: Bangkok Dangerous (2008), Joe (2013), Bringing Out the Dead (1999), Army of One (2016), and Lord of War (2005). See the trailer for the first year of CAGED.

The day of wonderful experiences didn't end with the five-film lineup, either. Following the program itself Cage graced the audience with a near-hour-long Q&A conducted by MacLennan. He and the audience asked the actor questions that spanned his entire career, each one met with a gracious and thoughtful answer from the man himself. You can check out that Q&A in its entirety right here - recorded by the Alamo Drafthouse:

We're LIVE with Nicolas Cage for a post-C4GED Q&A at Alamo Drafthouse Austin South Lamar!

These are the kind of events that make the Alamo Drafthouse such an amazing and wonderful place. Not only is it a retrospective looking back at five films, but it's a celebration of one of the most unique actors out there. Thank you to the Alamo Drafthouse and Fons PR for allowing me to share this experience with all of my fellow, Nicolas Cage-loving fans, and thank you to MacLennan for making this a yearly event well worth attending. Last and certainly not least, thank you to the man of the day – Nicolas Cage – for sharing this experience with us all and for making C4GED such a memorable experience. For more, follow Drafthouse.